crushed

The day my sister almost lost her finger
it was very cold outside
and we were all wearing our winter uniforms
with the gray blazers and red ties.

Jennifer ran up to my classes to tell me,
"Katie cut her finger!"

"Send her to the nurse,"
I said.

She rolled her eyes and ran away.

I went into history class
with Mrs Somethingorother
who was talking about Chaka Zulu
and the way his soldiers beat the boers
into a jellied pulp

I told Helen & Jens about my sister
coming up to me and they both laughed
and rolled their eyes.

When Mrs. Norris picked me up that afternoon
she told me that my parents were with my sister at the hospital
that she'd crushed her finger under a ballet bar
and would be in surgery for another few hours